Document filing system



June 14, 1960 R. A. E. GUICHARD 2,940,455

DOCUMENT FILING SYSTEM File d Aug. =31, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Fie2.

saf v f '68 E614.

Inventor Fl 6.2 2 63 RAYMOND/1.5. 60/0/4194;

June 14, 1960 R. A. E. GUICHARD 2,940,455

DOCUMENT FILING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 31, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 5 saxa/iifl,

A ttorne y June 14, 1960 R. A. E. GUICHARD 2,940,455

DOCUMENT FILING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 31, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fic =27 4729 4a 49 so 51 52 29 53 54 FiGQ 8.

Attorney States Patented June 1'4, 1960 The present invention concerns vertical filing systems both of the kind in which documents are placed in folders, and of the kind in which documents are placed between guide cards. In either kind of the documents may be enclosed in inner folders or wrappers before being placed in the filing system. The invention aims to remove all the disadvantages discussed above.

in systems according to the present invention the folders or guide cards for the documents are supported at their bases, and the base of each folder or card is held in place by a bar which interengages with transverse members and which, when the folder or card is to be removed, can be disengaged from the transverse members by movement solely in the plane of the folder.

The systems may include labelling along the side edges or the upper edges of the folders or guide cards. The systems are very simply constructed, and the folders or cards can be moved by one corner to open into a wide V to admit documents; a simple operation which only slightly displaces adjoining. folders or cards.

The accompanying drawings show by way of example various different constructions of systems according to the present invention.

Figure 1 shows elevationally a bar for use in a structure according to Figure 17 to secure separators;

Figure 2 shows elevationally a bar to secure separators and engaging the front transverse member according to Figure 20;

Figure 3 shows elevationally a bar used to secure separators and engaging the front transverse member according to Figure 19;

Figure 4 shows elevationally a bar used to secure separators and engaging the front transverse members according to Figures 21 and 22;

Figure 5 shows in front elevational view a separator employed according to the invention;

Figure 6 shows another separator in front elevational view;

Figure 7 shows a third type of separator in front elevational view;

Figure 8 shows a fourth type of separator in front elevational view;

Figure 9 shows in front elevational view a separator according to Figure 5 with a bar according to Figure 1 connected therewith;

Figure 10 shows in front elevational view a separator according to Figure 6 with a bar according to Figure 1 connected therewith;

Figure 11 shows in perspective a separator according to Figure 8 and a bar according to Figure 4 connected therewith;

Figure 12 shows in side elevation the form the separators may assume according to the invention;

Figure 13 shows in perspective a label holder which can be employed according to the invention;

Figure 14 shows in side elevation the label holder of Figure 13;

Figure 15 shows in plan a sheath which can be employed with the aforementioned label holder;

Figure 16 shows another sheath which can be employed with the aforementioned label holder;

Figure 17 shows a sectional view taken between separators of Figure 27 excluding the label holders and showing the full sectional form of the rearmost transverse member;

Figure 18 illustrates from the front the inter-engagement of a bar of Figure 1 with the front transverse members according to Figure 17;

Figure 19 illustrates by section through the forward transverse member of Figure 28 the engagement of a bar according to Figure 3 therewith;

Figure 20 illustrates by section the engagement of a bar according to Figure 2 with another form of front transverse member;

Figure 21 illustrates from the front the interengagement of a bar according to Figure 4 with the forward transverse members of Figure 17;

Figure 22 illustrates in section the interengagernent of a bar according to Figure 4 with the forward transverse members of Figures 17;

Figure 23 diagrammatically illustrates the positioning of separators on vertically successive racks according to the invention;

Figure 24 illustrates by side elevational view a form of separator and label holder therewith mounted in the structure according to Figure 17;

Figure 25 shows the form of separator illustrated in Figure 24 reversed with respect to the structure according to Figure 17 Figure 26 illustrates an embodiment of the invention involving mounting of the separators within a drawer, the view being taken longitudinally of the drawer;

Figure 27 illustrates by front elevational view the arrangement of separators, label holders, and bars according to Figure l in combination'with the front transverse members according to Figure 17; and

Figure 28 illustrates by front elevational view the arrangement of separators, label holders, and bars according to Figure 3 in combination with the front transverse member according to Figure 19.

In one construction the folders are of the shape shown in front elevation in Figure 5 and transverse elevation in Figure 12. The folders are mounted in a frame as shown in Figure 17, and are held in place by bars as shown in Figure 1.

Each folder consists of two leaves 3 joined by a base 4. Each bar consists of a fiat strip of metal or plastic 1 with a down-turned end 29. The base of the folder is rested on the edges 22, 23, 24, 25 of the flanges of channel-sectioned transverse members 17, 19, 20. 'l' he transverse members are part of a rigid structure further including side panels 60 seen in Figure 27 or with the transverse member 30 of circular section of Figure 28. These side panels alone may enable the structure to stand or additional structure as commonly used in filing cabinets or racks may be associated therewith. The strip 1, with its width horizontal, is then slid beneath a transverse member 18, over the base 4, and beneath a flange 26 on a transverse member 28 which is integral with the transverse memebr 20. The position of the strip with respect to the folder is shown in Figure 9 and its position with respect to the transverse members 17 and 18 is shown in Figure 18.

The flanges 20 and 26 are staggered horizontally and are spaced apart vertically by a distance slightly less than the depth of the strip. Thus the strip, which is resilient, is flexed and gripped frictionally. 'llhe member 18 and the flange 21 of the member 17 are spaced apart vertically by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the strip. Thus the strip can be slid about horizontally but has no vertical freedom. The end 29 serves as a handle.

Figures 2 to 4 show alternative forms of bar. The bar 61 shown in Figure 2 is similar to the bar of Figure 1 but has a tongue 2 which is stamped out or weldedon,

'is not. versal of a folder or card. In both positions the transthat excessive thickness is avoided. Figures 27' and' 28 show various ways inwh ich folders? and cards can be assembled. Figure27 shows folders 47,148,. 49, 50 and 52,v 53,. 54 with their adjacent leaves and which projects downwards and rearwards. In use, as

; shown in Figure 20, the front end of the bar rests on a transverse member 31 and the tongue engages beneath ajflange on the transverse memben The bar 62 shown in Figure 3 has a rounded hook 55 at the front end. In use, as shown in Figure 19, this hook clips round a transverse member 3% of circular section. This construction is also shown in Figure 28.

The bar 63 shown in Figure .4 is bent double at 32 at the front end and is used on edge. Figures 8 and l l' show a guide card 65 with a pocket 7 at its base into which the bar is slid'. As shown in Figures 21 and 22, the front endfof the bar engages between transverse members 17 and 18 which'are spaced apart vertically by a distance substantially equal to the width of the strip of which the bar is made. 1 As another alternative, the bars may be of wire. Figures 6 and. 7 shows other forms of guide card which may be used in place of folders. The card 66 shown in Eigure 6' has a channel shaped base64 which receives a opened into a 'wide V to admitddocumentsl The lefthand side of Figure 28 shows how the channel-shaped top portions fi of guide cards 67 serve to space them apart even if only a small number of documents is placed 'in each space between the cards. Figure 28 also shows that the last card 27 of the series is connected by a label holder 8 to theleaf 30f an adjacent folder.

In the constructions so far described, documents can 7 be inserted into the folders or between the cards from the front. Figure 26 shows a construction in which folder-s45 are'h oused in a drawer 49, and documents are inserted from above The bars 43 have a horizontal limb along the .base of a folder and a vertical limb close to one side of the drawer. The end 'of the horizontal limb is located byengagement beneath 'a lip 42 on a 7 plate 4d secured to the bottom 'of the drawer, and the end of the vertical limb is formed as a clip -to'grip the top 44 of thesideof the drawer. 1 The folder 45 has a bar in the. sar'nemanner as'the base of a folder, and

whichlspaces'th'e cards apart. The card 67 of Figure 7 hasa channel-shaped top portion 6 which serves to space the'car ds apart.

The bars' shown in Figuresl and 4 must be free to slide relatively. to the folders or cards, but the bars shown in Figures'2 and-3 can be fixed, for example by eyelets 69 as shown in Figure 10 where card 66 of Figure 6 has been used for illustration purposes.

- The transverse members which support the bases of the folders or cards may be tubular rather than channel- 'shaped. 7

Each folder or is laterally reversible and its two sideedges' are wholly or in part inclined in the same direction to the bottom edge to enable a label attached label holder 8 secured to its upper edge.' f I 1 claim: V V i 1. A rigid structure adapted, for lateral filingof documentsfrom an open Vertical side thereof, comprising a plurality'of separators mounted in near vertical planes each having at l'eastone front edge lying adjacent said side and a bottom portion, a first transverse member parallel to saidside, at least one second transverse member parallel to said side and mounted to the rear of said first member, the upper surface of said first member and a surface of said second member being substantially coplanar and supporting said bottom portions, said second member having an upwardly extending portion defining a first rectangular longitudinally extendingislot with said surface thereof, a

" p'lurality "of straight bars each connected to one said bottom portion and having arear part and a front part,

' member 'mounted parallel to said side and said" first to a side edge or inclined part thereof to be read from 7 above or below accordingto the edge to which it is attached. Figure 12 is a transverse elevation of a'folder for card, showing that it is shaped as a parallelogram and thus the side edges 9 and 10 are both inclined'in V the same direction fromthezvertical. The acute-angled corners may be removed along vertical lines, desired,

as illustrated by the mounted cards of Figures 24 and 25 'where vertical edges 13 and 14 have been formed.

There are openings 11 and 12 close to each side edge for engagement by a label holder'Sas shown in Figures 13 and 14. The holder is of U-section with fiangm 15 'at' right angles to the arms of the U. In useonearm of the U is passed through an opening so that the arms embrace the'strip of card between the opening and the edge; Then flalabel. (not shown) is laid against the flanges 15', and' a sheath 39, as shown in Figures. 15 or 16 is slid over the V flanges. Tongues 1 6 prevent thelabel and sheath sliding too fardownwards. j :Figure 23 shows how inclination of the'sideedges '9 and ltlfassis'ts reading of the labels when folders or cards are inseveral irows above one another. Labels 8 are all clearly visible to an eye at 70, whereas the label 8' Figures 24-and 25 show in more detail thereverse member. 28 actsas a rear abutment for documents, indicated by an outline 38, which are thus prevented from falling out backwards. At the same time the. front edge 33 of the documents is inrear of the. label holders so connected in concertina fashion by labelholdersfi. In 'addition'Figure 27 sh'owsa space 51 formed between saidrear part engaging said first slot, a third transverse member and engagingrsaid front part forlimiting the upward movement. thereof, said third member being of such limited vertical extent as to leave'said front edges substantially entirely open to view, said portion being open to view from and accessible to said side, said first and third members being foremost from' said side, said 7 front part extending beyond said first member in a di rection away from said second member and forming a handle portion. i

- 2. A rigid structure according to claim 1 :wherein'said third member is a thin, fiatbar eXtending'above said first member and defining a second rectangularlongitudinally folders and 52 by insertion of anadditional bar.

Such a space may beused to receive documents. Figure 27 also shows a wide folder 54 with itsbase held in" place bytwo bars side by side.

Figure 28 shows the center how a folder can be -saidsecond slot, i

:3; A rigid structure according to claim 1 wherein said third member is athin, flat bar extending laterally 'from said first member toward' said handle-.portion. and engaging under said front m,- said front part being provided with means engaging under said third member.

'4. A rigid's'tructure according to claim; 1 wherein said third member is a base portion associated with'saidfirst member, said front part being provided with means engaging under said base portion.

I References Cited in the fi le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS extending slot therewith, said front part' bein g engaged in auwimumy 

